we want a wind farm

(http://www.windfarm.fsnet.co.uk/)

Mr. Brierley was invited to speak to two local anti-windfarm groups BATTLE (http://www.bradwell.info/) and SIEGE (http://www.siege.org.uk/). Mr. Brierley spoke at length about the horrendous problems he has encountered with a particular windfarm development in his native SW Cumbria. He told his audience that his and his neighbours’ and family’s lives have become intolerable since the erection by Powergen Renewables of a particular windfarm. The noise was intolerable. It was not always there, but when it was it was all-pervading. He and his associates had taken Powergen Renewables to court but lost, although the judge did not make them pay Powergen’s costs of over £100,000.

One sympathises with Mr. Brierley. There is absolutely no doubt that he has suffered. However, his position as an anti-windfarm campaigner, speaking to other anti-windfarm groups, is seriously undermined by the start of the second paragraph of his website:-

“We already have three other such windfarms around our villages that we have lived with for several years without too many problems.”

In other words, not every windfarm is going to create the problems that his particular windfarm did. It seems to be the case that Mr. Brierley’s local community has been ridden over roughshod by a large, powerful multinational company, but that can happen in any walk of life. This is not a windfarm problem: it is the age-old problem of profits-before-people which just happens to be manifesting itself in a windfarm project.

We have also received a copy of a report of the Bradwell public meeting on 22 June, at which David Brierley attacked the wind farm sited near to his home and wind farms in general. People will find this quite interesting for two reasons.

1. The campaign he waged, which led to judicial review, found against him. He is quoted as reporting that the judge, when summing up, on the question of excessive noise, said that “his case lacked credibility” and
2. When questioned, those who attended the meeting produced no solutions to the environmental and energy crisis which we face.

It appeared to be a case of people simply being shocked by that which is new, or perhaps a little “nimbyism”. People had come to accept other sources of noise (for example cars and motorbikes), yet were alarmed by the prospect of a new source of noise; yet this new noise would be inaudible to most in the two villages and very considerably less than anything emitted by residents cars. People had also come to accept the hideous pylons and the particularly ugly nuclear power station, yet appeared alarmed by what many see as “majestic” wind turbines which represent a responsible non-polluting future.

For the facts on noise from wind turbines we recommend that people visit a wind farm themselves. Alternatively, please see the Linkssection of this site for useful sources of information.